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Friday, December 7, 2012

Surprise Presents!

Today I truly felt the spirit of Christmas as I put a package full of Christmas surprises in the mail (check off #8 from my list). Of course, to be able to send that package off, I also shopped for Christmas presents for others (check off #9) and wrapped the presents (check off #10). Not only that, but yesterday I also attended a Christmas party (check off #11)! Even though I checked off several items on my Cherish Christmas list, there are still plenty of ideas on the list to do. I recently updated the list with several more ideas, so now it is even longer than when I started this Quest on December 1st!Shopping for Others, Wrapping Presents, and Sending Surprises in the MailTo be totally on the up and up, I did the shopping and wrapping a couple days ago. I'm pretty sure I had enough to talk about that day, so I decided to hold off on chatting about it until I had the package all put together and ready to go. Christmas shopping is a complete delight for me. I love walking through the stores when they are all dressed up for Christmas. I love the sales that are offered this time of year. I love finding that perfect item for someone special on my list. I love the Christmas music playing in the background and the feeling in the air. It truly is a special time of year. It's even more fun when you have someone shopping with you. Both Hubby and the Engineer have been out Christmas shopping with me this week. I enjoyed my time with both of them. It's special with Hubby, because although he does not delight in shopping, he will go with me and try to act like it's not draining him, so that I can enjoy it. The Engineer can be such a help when shopping for people in his age range. He has great ideas. He's not much of a delighted shopper either, but just like his dad, he will do his best to let me enjoy it. And to me, that's a gift as well. Wrapping gifts has never been my thing. No matter how neat I try to be or how I take my time to crease the corners, my packages always turn out a little lumpy and crumpled. Thankfully I have boys and they don't care. Thankfully the rest of my gifts are carried off or mailed off to others, so I always hope they will think the packages got beat up in the transportation. Thankfully they make beautiful gift bags now.The big fun of the day was mailing off the package. The extra fun with this project is that it's a package full of gifts and some of the people on the receiving end have no idea I'm sending something to them! So fun. Oh, I wish I could see their faces when they get their goodies! This is one of the reasons I love this time of year so much. As an added bonus, the person I sent the package to will get to go around being Santa and enjoy the excitement surprise Christmas presents bring. It's just a feel good moment (or actually lots of them) from start to finish. A very satisfying list check off for sure!Attend a Christmas PartyYesterday, I had the privilege of attending Hubby's work Christmas party. Privilege you say? Yes, it really was. Although I only knew a handful of people in a room of well over 150, I looked forward to spending this time with my husband. Work Christmas parties aren't always great fun for the spouse, but I actually cherish this opportunity to hear nice things about Hubby, to watch how people interact with him, and to see him shine in his element. I always leave feeling very proud of him, of who he is, and what he does. Ok, and I'll be honest. I love to dress up too. Especially for a Christmas party!Christmas DevotionsSo interestingly enough, one of my Christmas devotions today was also on gifts. Spiritual Gifts. It was a reminder that God gives all of us gifts that we are to use for His glory. When we don't use them to honor God, it is like the person who opens a present and isn't that interested in it. If we just leave our gift sitting in the box it came in with the beautiful wrapping still around it, we are not only missing out on what we could have, but we are denying others from sharing in the gift as well. I didn't even realize it when I started this blog just a few weeks ago, but God was providing a wonderful opportunity for me to use my gifts to His glory. Once that clicked with me, I have been excited to see what He is going to do to help me with it each day. Most days I have no idea what I'm going to say as I sit down to write. The words just flow out of me, and I know that is not because of me, but because of who God is and what He has given me to do for His glory. I am so thankful for that!What gifts has God given you? How can you use them for His glory this Christmas?Only 18 days to go...Have a Blessed Christmas!

My 2013 Inspiration Verse

My Life Inspiration Verses

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. ~Jeremiah 29:11-14a